ITLR- Embracing Adversity

i was watching “passion of the Christ” and something struck me. and it deals with adversity. this is not meant to be a religious post, but as a lesson that i now realize i was taught at a young age. my grandfather taught me a rigorous lesson in hunting when i was a mere boy of 8. at the time i thought he was an asshole. but now i know what he was doing.

he was teaching me via adversity.

sending an 8 year old boy into the forest to retrieve a crane he shot and not allowing him back into the house until he found it is pretty fucking severe. but…..it was meant to be. it took me damn near a day of tracking, but i found the lily white crane and gave it a proper Houma Indian burial and blessing.

adversity forges manhood.

adversity takes on many forms. i could easily posit that approaching a 9 to open as a perfect example. but that’s too obvious. adversity is FAR more complex, sinister, and captivating. you wake in the morning to go to a job you loathe, you endure the company of those you may not necessarily approve of, you compliment politely when you wish to criticize. all entrapments of modern civility. and still….small victories against adversity. you become Sisyphus.

don’t open an 8 to close. open an 8 because you’re AFRAID to. afraid she’ll blow you off, laugh at you. it’s small “defeats” such as these that build a man’s “world armor”. eventually, you become impervious to criticism and rejection. you build a confidence that cannot be faked and women swoon and lust over.

the office, the SMP, the neighborhood, the home- all battlefields.

adversity sneers from the shadows, and waits for signs of weakness. it claws and tears at you when you’re most vulnerable. laugh in it’s face and swing back. NEVER back down. study it as you would any adversary; seeks it’s weakness and exploit it. because everything has a weakness.

especially you.

know your own weakness’ and pound out the kinks in your armor. forge a man of pure iron; who is as reliable as the rising and setting of the sun. this is why you are here- to be an exquisite example of humanity. men will admire you, and women will flock to you. this is your life. and with each passing day you take one step closer to the grave. make your days count. fuck you job, fuck the nuances of the day to day: counting calories, choosing a new paint color for the living room, getting a new car.

tear off the polite disguise and free yourself from the flock. learn a new language, learn a new skill, volunteer to help the less fortunate, go to college with no other intention than learning a subject that interests you. read a book- read MANY books: poetry, philosophy, psychology, metaphysics, classic literature.

man is like gumbo. it’s only as good as what you put into it. so choose your ingredients carefully.

this is why you learn game. it goes far beyond the bedding down of women.

Adversity forges manhood… truer words were never spoken. Which is why many military schools are more about embracing the suck then learning anything technical. Want to learn about yourself? Get in the ring or go to Ranger school.

Cannot tell you how often I heard that but it never made much sense to me. Seems like 60-70% of the washouts are in the 1st week or so. After it comes down to injuries and men who fail to learn the technical skills.